


Day 196

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [196]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:47:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25291141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [196]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Day 196

Varric woke Jansen during the period of time when you couldn’t be quite sure if it was night or morning. The poor man still didn’t really know what was going on. He was not the most observant. If everything went well tonight, it wouldn’t matter and the poor fool could go back to his old life.

Jansen groggily got dressed, Varric had given him a thick woolen coat to wear over his clothes. He complained about how hot the coat was but didn’t argue when Varric insisted he keep it on. The man stumbled after Varric as they went to the abandoned foundry where Varric had arranged for everyone to meet up. The Foundry was the same one where Quenton had taken Hawke’s mother for his twisted experiments and Varric usually avoided the place, but it was the best location in the city for a fight if you didn’t want to risk anyone getting caught in the middle. Hopefully none of the invitees would be late.

He and Jansen wandered inside, the dusty floor illuminated only by the moonlight that found its way through the holes in the roof. Places like this usually ended up full of squatters or secret societies but this one was still abandoned. Varric guessed even the most desperate of Kirkwall didn’t want to bunk with demons and undead.

Cullen was the first to arrive. The poor man looked like he hadn't slept, or bathed, in days. His armor was starting to rust and his stubble was full of muck and other things Varric would rather not identify.

“What is this about, dwarf,” Cullen demanded. “I warn you that I have little patience right now.” His eyes moved past Varric to Jansen. “Are you here to surrender?”

“Here to surrender?” Jansen repeated. He looked from Varric to Cullen in confusion.

“I may have created a bit of a confusion,” Varric said. “Jansen here had a little bit of a mix up with a Crow and the rumors got away from him.”

“What do you-” Cullen was interrupted by a small flash of light and the sound of a nearby explosion.

It seemed like the assassin had found the first of Varric’s traps. He pushed Jansen behind some boxes for cover and pulled out Bianca. Cullen dropped into a fighting stance, shield at the ready.

A few elves rushid in, blades out. That was not something Varric had anticipated but it made sense. The Crow must have expected a trap. They fell on Cullen in a frenzy but the templar, tired as he was, made short work of them. One slipped by and made a slice at Varric who did his best to dodge to the side. The elf sliced into the leather of his jacked sleeve and, even worse, connected with Bianca. Varric felt something give in the mechanism and his heart sank.

Varric jammed his bayonet into the attacking elf and retreated behind the crates next to Jansen and did a quick checkup on Bianca.

“Are you alright Master Varric?” Jansen asked. Varric held up Bianca, fighting back tears.

“I think one of her gears got damaged,” he said. Jansen started fishing around in his pockets. Varric ignored him and peaked over the boxes. He could see the assassin setting up a shot with a crossbow. It looked big enough to punch through their cover so when Varic dropped back down he changed positions. A good thing too since a bolt punched through the boxes right where he had been a moment before.

Cullen was trying to charge the assassin’s hiding spot but he would never make it up the wall in his full armor. That was fine by Varric, all he needed from the curly-haired templar was to witness the assassin going for Jansen.

“Will this help?” Jansen asked. Varric looked over to see the man holding out a spare Bianca gear.

“Where did you find this?” he asked.

“You left it in my luggage by mistake,” Jansen replied. “I came back to return it. I know how much you like your crossbow.”

“Bianca and I appreciate it,” Varric said, taking the gear. He worked quickly to replace the gear and get his girl back into working order. “Check to see where the assassin is hiding.”

Jansen popped his head up for a moment.

“He’s in the-” Jansen started but Varric shoved him over with his booted foot. A moment later another bolt crashed through where Jansen had been. Varric loaded Bnianca with a clay tipped bolt filled with knockout powder.

“Sorry about this,” he said before shooting Jansen point blank in the chest. The tip exploded and the powder filled Jansen’s lungs when he gasped in surprise. He collapsed unconscious, with what was left of the bolt lodged into his thick coat. Varris threw a sunburst grenade over his cover so it briefly lit up the room.

Noll, responding to the signal, leapt from their hiding place and into the assassin’s hiding spot. Varric watched in the shoddy light of the moon as the two elves chased each other around the rafters of the place while Cullen ran around under them, trying to find a vantage to reach them.

Noll played their part well, guiding the assassin so that he had a clear view of Jansen lying motionless in the dirt, crossbow bolt protruding from his chest. Then they gave the Crow just enough of a leed to think he had escaped.

“Curly,” Varric shouted out as Cullen tried to find a good exit. The knight captain turned to Varric. “We’ve got a handle on the assassin, can you get Red here back to the Hanged Man?”

“Is he...” Cullen said, looking at Jansen’s body. Varric pulled the bolt out of his coat.

“He’s fine, just asleep. If all goes well the assassin won’t be an issue for you anyone.”

Varric left and met up with Noll in Hightown.

“Did we get what we need?” He asked. Noll nodded.

“I followed him to a manor here, he went in and then came out with a bag of gold. He’ll be heading back to Antiva and we know who wanted Jenny dead.”

A satisfying end to the story, though Varric didn’t think anyone would believe it if he told them. Jansen was as unlikely a hero as Varric had ever med, especially in a tale about spies and assassins.


End file.
